In The Dragon's Den
by Heihachi-Katayama
Summary: “I am not afraid of you anymore, Akito. That was the past. And this...this is the future.” COMPLETED!
1. Chapter 1: A Meeting of the Gods

"I am not afraid of you anymore, Akito. That was the past. And this…this is the future."

I got this idea from reading a couple of fanfictions on this site. And since most of my stories seem to be immensely unpopular, I decided to try yet again on an entirely different level. So enjoy!

Also, this is based on my current feelings, so the theme may often change from really sad to very funny. This might get a little odd because of this, so all I can say is – It's gonna be one wild ride!

"_Yuuukiii-kun!!"_

_I groaned and turned over, mumbling sleepily, "Go away, Ayame.."_

"_But Yuki-kun, I'm not your dear brother! And I made you breakfast!"_

"_Then who-?" I rolled back over and immediately wished I hadn't. There, in front of my eyes, my poor innocent eyes, was a cat. But not just any cat. The cat. In an apron. With a tray of pancakes and milk. The cat. Breakfast. Apron…_

"AHHHHHH!!!" Yuki bolted out of bed faster than a runaway train and darted to the other side of his room, narrowly missing the wall as he tried to erase his horrible dream from his mind. And sadly, failed. Poor little rat…But anyway, as he slowly calmed down from his terrifying dream, he glanced at his clock and realized with great annoyance that it was 3 in the morning on a weekend.

"Stupid cat.." He sighed and crawled back into bed, though couldn't seem to get back to sleep. The rather scary feeling from the dream remained, lurking around the room like a yaoi fangirl. Luckily, the girl writing this fic is not a yaoi fangirl, or our hero would surely be doomed. Not that I have anything against yaoi or – ("On with the story!" growled Kyo from the sidelines) –gulps- alright, now where was I? Ahh, yes…anyway, Yuki could not seem to shake off this feeling, but he could never imagine the horrors he would have to face the next day.

The war for the zodiac was just about to begin.

**Chapter 1: A meeting of the gods**

"Morning Yuki!" Tohru cheerfully greeted the yawing rat as he made his way into the kitchen, perking up slightly at the smell of good food that wasn't cooked by a certain cat. "Breakfast will be ready in a couple minutes. Oh, and Shigure said he wanted to talk to you…"

"Shigure?" Yuki repeated outloud, looking confused. "Did he say why?"

"He just said it was important," Tohru nodded to herself as she stirred whatever heavenly creation she had mastered today. "I think he's in his office."

"Thank you, Miss Honda," the prince flashed her a small smile and walked out. Barely a minute after he had disappeared around the corner, the girl slumped slightly onto the non heated parts of the stove, smiling as if in a trace, which she pretty much was.

"Ahh, my precious Yuki…I will have you soon enough.."

Meanwhile, Yuki had stumbled into Shigure's room at a very unfortunate time, and the poor rat added another session of therapy to his agenda.

The dog was reading one of his stories out loud. But it didn't end there. Oh no, of course it didn't end there. He also was giggling like a drunk wood cutter AND seemed to be acting out his character, apparently named Mark, speaking in some surprisingly soothing tones to a coat rack named Susan.

"C'mon baby, let's go to my place and have some…fun!" 'Mark' exclaimed with another giggle. The rat was stuck between tackling the dog to the floor and fleeing like a mad man. He decided on a go between.

"Shigure…are you alright?"

"Why, of course I am Su-I mean, Yuki!" Shigure turned to him, looking rather embarrassed. "What can I help you with?"

"I thought you asked for me," the rat raised an eyebrow, still rather disturbed by the earlier scene.

"Oh, yes…that's right." Shigure nodded thoughtfully, now rather serious again. Scary how he could do that so quickly… "Actually, I have something you might not enjoy so much…"

"What?" asked Yuki, getting a bit impatient by now.

"Well…I got a call from Hatori last night. It seems Akito wants to meet with you this afternoon."

Yuki froze, his eyes wide. "He…I….what?!? Why?"

The perverted dog sighed, "Calm down, Yuki. I knew you'd have a hard time taking this…I don't know why he wants to talk to you, but Hatori offered to hang around the room incase anything gets out of hand. And anyway, from what I hear, Akito is getting so weak now I don't think he could lay a hand on you."

"I doubt it," the rat said under his breath. Shigure shot him a surpised look and he continued, "You know as well as I do that he hates me…he'll do anything to get to me."

Shigure sighed again, "I do agree with you on that, but you don't need to be so afraid of him anymore. He is far less powerful now, and I fear his time is short. He could easily be on his last week. I think you should just go."

"Not like I have much of a choice anyway," Yuki growled quietly, "But thank you, Shigure…I'll think about what you have said." With that, the angry teenager left, leaving a rather depressed puppy.

"…Maybe I should have waited until later to say anything.."

The rest of the day passed as a blur to the rat, and before long, he found himself standing infront of the gates of the Sohma estate. "Well, here goes nothing," he thought wearily before entering the dreaded compound and all thoughts of his sure-to-be demise vanished, replaced by an utter calmness. Even as he met up with Hatori and was led to Akito's chamber, he felt no fear until he entered the room and found himself facing the God of the zodiac.

"Glad to see you could make it…Yuki."

-To Be Continued-

Now review! If I can get two reviews OR one subscriber for this chapter in the next week, I will extend the next one and update even faster! Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2: A Chance For Freedom

Here's the next chapter. I really wanted to update sooner, but some stuff got in the way…also, I'm still trying to decide where I want to take this story. I don't really have a set plot, just a bunch of ideas – the reason for this being that when I do have a set plot, I get too into trying to follow the plot exactly and end up not being able to write anything.…

Also, this chapter will probably be mostly talking and no real action or anything. Believe me though, there will be plenty of excitement later. Anyway, here's chapter 2!

LINE BREAK

_**Previously:**_

_The rest of the day passed as a blur to the rat, and before long, he found himself standing in front of the gates of the Sohma estate. "Well, here goes nothing," he thought wearily before entering the dreaded compound and all thoughts of his sure-to-be demise vanished, replaced by an utter calmness. Even as he met up with Hatori and was led to Akito's chamber, he felt no fear until he entered the room and found himself facing the God of the zodiac._

"_Glad to see you could make it…Yuki."_

LINE BREAK

Yuki hesitated before making his way further into the dark room and kneeling in respect to his 'leader'. "Akito-sama."

Akito shook his head, smiling in such a friendly fashion that Yuki immediately stiffened, waiting for his sure-to-be punishment.

"There's no need for such silly titles, Yuki…how are you?"

The rat was shocked by his apparent friendliness that he didn't hesitate to answer, "Alright, Akito."

Akito seemed satisfied and nodded, "Good…and school? I trust the work isn't too hard?"

"Not at all," Replied Yuki, still seeming a bit tense, though he had relaxed considerably.

"Very good.." The God paused before continuing again, "I have a bit of a request for you…my time is very short, as I'm sure you have already heard, but there is one last thing I need done before I can go peacefully."

Yuki looked up slightly. "What do you wish, Akito?" he asked, unable to hide the hint of curiosity in his tone.

"Oh, it's just a simple task…you see, there are no more Gods in line to lead the zodiac such as yourself. When I go, the curse will be broken, but there is a catch…all the members of the zodiac will die as a result of this change."

He paused a moment to allow the rat to soak this all in before continuing, "However, there is one way they can live…two of the zodiac already have weakened forms. If they transform too many more times, I fear they could break the curse for themselves and that could cause a shockwave that will also free everyone else. I am talking, of course, about the dragon and the cat."

Yuki's eyes widened, not believing what he was hearing. "You mean.."

"Yes," Akito smirked, "You must either kill them…or everyone will die."

TO BE CONTINUED

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((Just kidding! Back to the story!))

Yuki found himself unable to look at Hatori as he walked out of the room and down the hall, his hands curling into fists as he barely stopped himself from shaking in his anger. There was no way he could kill either of them, even if the cat was as annoying as hell and the dragon seemed to find it necessary to give him check ups at the most embarrassing times. There was no way he could kill them…but was there really a choice?

This he continued to ponder as he made his way out of the Sohma estate and towards Shigure's house.

TO BE CONTINUED

Alrighty, chapter 3 should be longer and hopefully will be up by the end of this weekend (but no promises). I think I've started to figure out how this is going to work out as well, but to keep you all in the shadows, I'm going to do something ultra special…not release the plot.

Aren't I nice? :-P

Now you will have to follow along through the many turns this story will contain and find the real plot. What a twist, huh?!?

Anyway, that's enough with my rant. Thanks to those who reviewed, and keep them coming! Same rules apply to last time, except I expect at least 1 new reviewer before I can update again. So review! It'll only take a second, I promise!


	3. Chapter 3: Of Decisions and Dogs

Here's chapter 3! I have finally decided on the plot, and if this works as I hope it will, there should be tons of twists! I really hope you enjoy this story! And as always, please review!

Some of the characters may be a bit ooc in this chapter, but you can't blame 'em in the situation they are in, now can you?  And anyway, this is more of a filler to make room for the plot.

LINE BREAK

_**Previously:**_

_There was no way he could kill either of them, even if the cat was as annoying as hell and the dragon seemed to find it necessary to give him check ups at the most embarrassing times. There was no way he could kill them…but was there really a choice?_

_This he continued to ponder as he made his way out of the Sohma estate and towards Shigure's house._

LINE BREAK

"Are you alright, Yuki?" Tohru's cheerful voice welcomed him as he stepped into the house. "You look a bit pale…"

"Oh…yes, I'm alright Miss. Honda. Just a bit tired," Yuki answered quickly, finding himself unable to look at her as he took off his jacket (which he mysteriously had on, despite it being a sunny day).

"Oh no!" Tohru exclaimed, immediately taking on a worried expression that vaguely resembled Ayame's. Maybe he should try to keep her from being anywhere near his older brother. Obviously he was rubbing off on her far too much.

Luckily, these disturbing thoughts managed to keep him quite busy until the end of her lecture.

"…or maybe I should just call Hatori! He'd know what to do! Or maybe he's on the verge of an asthma attack or maybe he's hurt or maybe.."

Tohru stopped suddenly, looking quite pale herself. "But what if he's really sick! What do I do then?!?"

"Tohru," Yuki sighed wearily, "Just calm down, alright? I'm fine! I've just had a long day-" The rat was cut off as a door was slammed shut, followed by the sound of something breaking and a shout ("My poor house!"), before Kyo entered the room, looking livid.

"So the rat is back…how was the meeting?"

"None of your concern, baka…you should run for the hills before that hound finds you," Yuki shot back at the cat before stalking off to his room.

Kyo blinked and looked at Tohru, who seemed equally confused, before staring back after Yuki. "…What got his tail in a knot?"

Meanwhile…

"Hound? He called me a hound?!?" Shigure wailed from the next room over, having clearly heard the argument. "Oh! I am so ashamed! I must call Aya and be healed with his kind words! I fear my heart will break if I don't!!"

With that, the so called 'hound' picked up a phone out of nowhere and called his friend. To save everyone's minds, I will skip this talk. Believe me, you will appreciate it.

LINE BREAK

Akito smiled as he imagined a very similar scene to what had just happened at Shigure's house, except with an added moment of Yuki snapping and stabbing Kyo with a kitchen knife. Oh, how he would love to see that for himself…but of course, the doctor would not let him leave the main house due to his condition. Such a pity really, but he convinced himself it wouldn't be long until the dragon was out of the way…

"Hmm…wonder if I can add a time limit to my little rat's quest?"

LINE BREAK

Sorry that this chapter is so short, but I promise they will get longer and more exciting when the plot really picks up. Anyway, please review! Same rules as with the last chapter! Thanks, and I really hope you will continue to enjoy this story! 


	4. Chapter 4: Further Difficulties

And here's chapter 4. There will probably be a chapter a week, but I can't promise anything. Anyway, enjoy!

LINE BREAK

_**Previously:**_

Akito smiled as he imagined a very similar scene to what had just happened at Shigure's house, except with an added moment of Yuki snapping and stabbing Kyo with a kitchen knife. Oh, how he would love to see that for himself…but of course, the doctor would not let him leave the main house due to his condition. Such a pity really, but he convinced himself it wouldn't be long until the dragon was out of the way…

"Hmm…wonder if I can add a time limit to my little rat's quest?"

LINE BREAK

The next few days passed as a blur to the rat, and he even began to forget about his quest. Of course, the God of the zodiac wouldn't allow this, and another meeting was held between the two. What happened in this talk was much like the last, but with an added element Yuki would never forget…

_**Flashback**_

"_My precious rat, it is so very unfortunate that you have not made a move yet on the dragon or cat. This was a very simple task…it seems I must complicate things if we are to get anywhere on this."_

"_I apologize, Akito-sama, but please – it has only been a few days! That isn't nearly enough time to-"_

"_Ahh, but it is more than enough time, it just seems you aren't willing enough. Very well. If you do not complete this within the next week, I'm afraid your precious Tohru will experience a little memory problem."_

"_A week?!? Akito-sama, I need at least two to complete this!"_

"_That attitude is precisely what gets you into so much trouble…very well. I will give you exactly 10 days, starting now. You know what will happen if you don't succeed.."_

"…_Alright, I will do it."_

"_Good…oh, and Yuki? Try not to dirty the doctor's office too much…I'll need it as a study."_

_**End Flashback**_

And so the rat was left to his thoughts once again. He could see no way out of it, and soon was granted with endless dreams that night of Hatori, clutching at a wound in his chest as he fell, and Kyo, as the idiotic cat who was too late to see the knife fly at him. Through these gruesome dreams, he managed to develop a game-plan that would keep him from being discovered. Once the deed was done, he figured he could convince Akito to let him live out the rest of his days in seclusion. After all, wouldn't being alone to his suffering be the worst punishment?

His plan was perfectly laid out, he decided to put it into action the very next morning. After all, the sooner the better, right?

LINE BREAK

"Hatori, do you have a moment?"

"I suppose…why? Did someone get hurt again? I swear, I spend more time treating your group than I do anyone else anymore."

"Not this time…or, not yet, anyway. I was just wondering, is it just me, or is Akito acting a bit off lately?"

"Seriously, the man's on his deathbed. Of course he's acting a bit off."

"Ha'ri, you've been so harsh lately. Are you sure that's all?"

"No…no, I'm not sure. He has been acting a bit odd since his meeting with Yuki…speaking of which, is he doing alright?"

"I suppose…he's been a bit, shall I say, secluded since he got back. I fear something happened in that meeting, but he isn't willing to tell anyone what it was – not even Tohru."

"Interesting…"

"Just…watch yourself, Ha'ri. I fear something is at hand here."

"So do I, so do I…I'll talk to you soon, I have an appointment with Kisa soon – she caught some sort of cold."

"I see…well, I'll talk too you soon then, Hatori." 'Please take care…'

"I'm sure you will…you should be careful as well, Shigure."

"Oh, I will."

TO BE CONTINUED

I was just looking through the past chapters, and I realized I forgot to put a 'to be continued' on the previous one. Whoops! Ahh well, I think it was clear enough that I wasn't going to leave it like that…right? Right?!?

Ok, fine. Maybe not, but still! I'm not that mean! …I think.

Anyway, on another note, I have already started to write chapter 4 (and may I add, I'm really excited, since at this rate this story may be the first I have ever managed to finish!), so it will be up hopefully before next weekend. If it does, I might have 3 chapters up by the end of this week! Yay!!

One more thing, I was quite disappointed by the lack of reviews. I mean, I feel like this story will go far, but was I wrong? : - ( So please review! Even flames are welcome – I could use a nice hot fire what with how cold and rainy it's been where I live lately!

See you soon!


	5. Chapter 5: A Change In Plans

Here's chapter 5! I apologize and very much agree with those who commented that this story didn't have enough in it, and I am pleased to say this will really pick up in the next few chapters. I would have added more earlier, but I was afraid of leaving plot holes that I wouldn't be able to fill in, and I wanted to put a bit more depth into this story…Mostly though I just didn't want to leave any stones unturned, so to speak.

Anyway, enjoy! This chapter was inspired by the songs 'If Today Was Your Last Day' by Nickelback and 'One Last Breath' by Creed.

Oh, and I don't think I put in a disclaimer for this story, so I suppose I better do it now.

I can assure you I do not own Fruits Basket, If Today Was Your Last Day, One Last Breath, or any characters in this story. If I did, Fruits Basket would be centered on Shigure and Hatori, as they are my two favorite characters. ((Which is pretty sad, as I might end up killing one of them…in that case, maybe it's a good thing I don't own it.))

LINE BREAK

_**Previously:**_

_Yuki has decided on a course of action, and it seems Shigure and Hatori are becoming quite suspicious…_

LINE BREAK

Everything was in place. Now all he needed was a chance - and he wouldn't have to wait long.

Around noon the following day Yuki found himself outside the Sohma Estate, clutching a bag with a package for the chefs – a gift, apparently, from the hound himself. That dog was far too generous, but he supposed he was lucky to get an excuse to come over to the main house at all. For once, he was grateful to his older brother for distracting Shigure for the day so he could take care of his duties here.

Ahh yes, the time had come. He was as ready as he could be for such a horrible task, and had managed to leave all his regrets behind. The doctor would have nothing to do but paperwork for the next few days. Everything was in place.

He dropped off the package and made his way to the doctor's office, fingering the small knife in his pocket that he had stolen from the kitchen. He still felt guilty for stealing it from the servants, but, as he reminded himself, it was technically stealing from Akito, and that was perfectly fine.

Yuki hesitated at the door, having far too many second thoughts for comfort. What if the dragon somehow survived and therefore could his attempted murderer? What if he somehow was able to make a dying note? What if Akito gave him off?

He supposed the last idea was unlikely, but it was still an eerie thought. Come to think of it, he really didn't know what was going through the God's mind. Kill his own doctor? Wouldn't that pretty much mean securing his own fate?

"Well, I guess we'll just have to see what happens," The rat sighed and entered the office. He was distinctly aware of a curious presence in the darkened room, but couldn't seem to place it. Still, something seemed off…but he shrugged it off as an attempt of his mind to trick him into not doing his assigned task, not noticing the stray papers on the ground in front of him.

"Hatori? Are you in here? Hatori?" He frowned at the lack of an answer and searched for a light switch. His hand located the smooth plastic, though he soon regretted turning it on.

The light flooded into the room, revealing a totally trashed office. Papers were strewn about and a variety of binders and folders tossed carelessly in a heap on the ground. The filing cabinets were thrown on their side, and various pictures scattered about. The closest photograph, he noticed with a pang of sorrow, was one of Kana, or used to be. The poor thing was wrinkled something horrible and the frame, or what was left of it, was just another pile on the desk.

'Who could have done this?' Yuki wondered in silent horror as he gazed upon the remains of the usually overly neat office. His unasked question was immediately thrown into the dust as the phone started to ring.

Stumbling over the well beaten chair, Yuki grabbed the phone and quietly answered it, not able to keep the tremor out of his voice.

"Hello?"

"Good afternoon, Yuki." The rat's breathing hitched for a moment, his eyes wide. He knew that voice.

"G-good afternoon, Akito-sama."

"I apologize for the confusion – I figured you would have headed over to His office by now. I'm sorry to say that you were beat to it."

"B…but who?!? I thought I was assigned!"

"I changed this part at the last minute for a more convenient setup…don't worry, you still have the cat to take care of, but the dragon has already been stopped. I'm just making your job easier."

"You mean you killed him?!?"

"Well, I didn't. A little assistant of mine did. We've already gotten rid of the body, so now you will just have to concentrate on your job. Oh, and I will only have another week at the most with the doctor gone, so you better hurry."

With that, the God hung up, and the rat was left speechless in the middle of the office.

LINE BREAK

That night, after having a rather bad feeling all day, Momiji wandered into the office in search of his favorite sohma. The disaster before him left the poor bunny speechless until he finally managed to sprint to Haru's house and pounded on the door, screaming in such an odd way for the cheerful rabbit that the cow didn't waste a moment to let him in.

From then on, the news spread like wildfire. Only three people knew the truth about Hatori's disappearance, but only two of them knew his location and his full fate.

TO BE CONTINUED

That is probably the fastest update I have ever done…cool! :-D Anyway, chapter 6 is already being planned and should be out soon. I am really looking forward to writing and finishing this story! And as I said, the action should really pick up soon for a bit, but I'm not anywhere close to the climax yet, so the real fun will have to wait.

So please review! And I hope you continue to enjoy the journey!


	6. Chapter 6: A New Lead

I've been sick and haven't been able to get on much lately, but I am quite relieved to say that I am on the mend and back on my feet. Updates might be slow, as I missed a week of school and now have to catch up as best as possible, but I am quite confident that they will still come at fairly paced intervals. Anyway, here's chapter 6! Please enjoy!

LINE BREAK

_**Previously:**_

That night, after having a rather bad feeling all day, Momiji wandered into the office in search of his favorite sohma. The disaster before him left the poor bunny speechless until he finally managed to sprint to Haru's house and pounded on the door, screaming in such an odd way for the cheerful rabbit that the cow didn't waste a moment to let him in.

From then on, the news spread like wildfire. Only three people knew the truth about Hatori's disappearance, but only two of them knew his location and his full fate.

LINE BREAK

A meeting was held for the zodiac the morning after Momiji had stumbled upon Hatori's office wreck. Everyone was a mess at this frightening news, but no one more so than the rabbit himself. He had taken upon the dragon as a sort of fatherly figure, and to find him missing…well, he just couldn't understand how that could happen.

After the rabbit had reported the incident to Haru, Shigure and Kyo had gone on a rather extensive search through the office, hoping to find clues as to the doctor's whereabouts or who may have taken him, but so far nothing had been found. It was as if he had simply disappeared into thin air. As for the rat, he was rather shaken, but because of this avoided most suspicion, though it was clear the dog still had his doubts.

The meeting was really more of a gathering of comfort, as no one had the heart for some time to speak up. Eventually, the dog stood and addressed the small crowd.

"You all know why we are all here, but perhaps not the real reason for this meeting. I don't believe in the rumors. I know Hatori (Momiji let out a rather loud sniffle at the mention of his name, but was quickly comforted by Haru) would not die so easily. He made a promise to me, and I don't believe he ever intended to break it. This is the real reason why I have asked you all to come…I believe he is alive, and I want to free him from whatever he has gotten himself into."

"But where do we start?" Kyo spoke up from the back of the room as he leaned against the wall. "We have no clues, no leads…we can't look everywhere – there aren't enough of us!"

"But that is where you are wrong," Shigure smiled mischievously. "WE may be few, but we have connections outside the main house. I'm sure the high school would be more than willing to help, and I know Hatori has a huge branch of doctors he works with who may have an idea as to who took him…and if worse comes to worse, we always have a certain person who knows far more about him than any of us do…"

"Who?" Hiro asked curiously – even he seemed to be getting into it.

"Why, an old acquaintance of our doctor…a certain woman known as Kana."

"But Kana had her memories erased! She doesn't know about the curse, let alone who may go against him!" The lamb objected.

"Her memories were erased, but she still remembers working with Ha'ri," Shigure pointed out, "While she might not remember her relationship with him, she should still remember others who may have grudges against him. And anyway, that's only if we have no other leads, and I'm quite sure that we will find him with the people on our side."

"And what if…you know…" Kyo hesitated, seeming unable to say the word, but everyone knew what he was talking about even without further details. Shigure sighed sadly,

"If that really is the…fate, of him, then at least we can be sure he was laid in the right place, with friends by his side. That is what he would want, after all."

LINE BREAK

And so, the search began for the missing doctor. With Yuki's influence, Tohru and Kyo managed to easily convince the school to help look for him. (More correctly, they told the leader of the prince Yuki fanclub that she could spend lunch alone with Yuki if the doctor was found. Not surprisingly, she was quite eager to help with these terms, and quickly had the fan club convince the school, which was equally easy to do, as the club scared most of the students.)

Shigure managed to track down some of the doctors Hatori worked with, but found nothing they knew could lead them any further to the dragon's apparent killer. Even back at the school, no one could find any promising leads. Yuki was feeling terribly guilty, as he knew quite well who was responsible, but decided to keep quiet. After all, who knew what Akito may do to all of them if he spilled it…

Two days later, the group, nearly dropping from exhaustion, was forced to stop for the time being. Yuki had been pondering how to kill Kyo over these days, but found himself hesitating. It would be easy enough to do, and no one had the energy to stop him, but he just couldn't do it…so he decided to wait until the last possible moment.

Just two days before the end of the god's life, they received a call from a man who called himself Raven. Apparently, this man had found Hatori. He was alive.

LINE BREAK

And there's the end of chapter 6. How exciting! So anyway, this is obviously leading into another twist…there should be a couple more of them before the main plot point arrives, so have fun, and please review! Thanks, and I really hope you enjoy this story!


	7. Chapter 7: In The Dragon's Den

And here's chapter 7! To warn everyone who is reading this, THERE WILL BE SPOILERS FROM THE MANGA FROM THIS POINT ON! I haven't read much of it myself, but I needed to include a character or two in order for this plot to work properly who were never introduced in the anime. I apologize if this throws anyone off, and also for the ooc-ness of these manga characters, since as I said, I don't know their personalities too well, only rough facts. These are pretty well known characters with pretty well known facts though, so I don't think it will throw too many people off.

Also, I am very sorry for the lateness of this chapter! There's been tons of stuff going on lately, and I haven't had the time (or the mind) to update. Stupid writers block…

LINE BREAK

_**Previously:**_

Yuki had been pondering how to kill Kyo over these days, but found himself hesitating. It would be easy enough to do, and no one had the energy to stop him, but he just couldn't do it…so he decided to wait until the last possible moment.

Just two days before the end of the god's life, they received a call from a man who called himself Raven. Apparently, this man had found Hatori.

LINE BREAK

- 4 days ago –

A few hours before Yuki stumbled into the trashed office, Hatori was busy sorting papers, filling out various documents, and dreaming of vacations when the phone suddenly rang. Grateful for the distraction, he pushed the papers aside and picked it up.

"Dr. Sohma. How may I help you?"

"Oh Ha'ri! It's just terrible!"

Hatori sighed dramatically before replying mildly "What is it this time, Shigure?"

"Yuki and Kyo are destroying my house!"

The doctor sweatdropped, "Shouldn't you be used to that by now?"

The dog wailed, forcing the doctor to hold his phone a good foot away from his ear, "But they killed my new plants!"

Another sweatdrop. "Why did you even bother to get plants when you are already surrounded by them?"

"You see, Aya' said they represented inner-" The writer found himself cut off by a loud crash. He frowned and sighed, "There they go again…I'd better go and inspect the damage. Talk to you later, Hatori."

"I suppose so."

Hatori waited for the dog to hang up before doing so himself, and rested a bleary eye on his stack of papers, which had been waiting patiently on the desk. If he hadn't known better, he would have sworn they were taunting him. For the moment, he was quite sure his other idea was correct, that he was simply going insane.

For this reason, he thought nothing of it when the first loud thump came, coming from somewhere near the door. By the third, he started to doubt his logic and cautiously abandoned his seat, retreating back a few steps while watching the said door as it bounced with the impact of whatever seemed to be slamming into it. This move was precisely what saved his life.

The thumping stopped, but Hatori stayed where he was, listening for any footsteps or at least for something that could tell him what the apparent person had on him or wanted. He soon found himself longing for Shigure's enhanced hearing and sight as he waited and watched, tense with expectation.

Despite his attempts to silently prepare himself, he still jumped when a huge rock came sailing through a window, ramming into a few filing cabinets before settling itself innocently on the ground next to his chair. Frowning, the doctor backed a few more steps, managing to roughly hide in a shadow formed by the breaking of one of his lights, and attempted to find a way out of his current situation. Currently, he had nothing.

A second rock came, closely followed by a third and fourth. Before long, the entire office was trashed, leaving the nervous doctor to wait once again. Much to his surprise, nothing came. After what felt like an eternity, he cautiously stepped out into the open, surveying the damage, and mentally growling in annoyance as he realized that surely all his paychecks for the next year would be spent on replacements for just about everything.

So much for that vacation.

Hatori probably should have called the police then and there, and then hid until they arrived, but he was still too shaken from the attack to think clearly. This drove him outside to check for the intruder, armed with only a small shotgun he kept hidden in his desk, just for these sort of emergencies.

It only took a few steps for him to realize with a sinking feeling that this was all one big mistake.

It only took a few seconds for him to turn and see his intruder.

It only took a second for the gun to shoot.

Yet it seemed to take ages for the doctor to fall.

And an even longer time for his limp body to be thrown in his own car, and driven off to an unknown destination.

TO BE CONTINUED

Sorry for the wait! This was mostly a flashback chapter. Hatori's story will continue for the next few chapters, before it will switch back over to Shigure's search and Yuki's quest.

Also, the manga spoiler will probably start next chapter…I thought I'd get to it in this one, but the otherall capturing of Hatori took a bit longer than I expected. On a side note, I am sorry for the shortness of this chapter! But on the bright side, the next one should be much longer and I have already started on it! For those of you who are wondering, this marks the halfway point of this story.

Anyway, thanks for reading, and I hope you continue to enjoy In The Dragon's Den!


	8. Chapter 8: Dead Man Walking

And so starts chapter 8! …I'll apologize ahead of time. I REALLY do not know what was running through my mind when I wrote this! Also, I am very sorry to any Hatori fans out there! I am a huge one, and just know that you are open to slaughter me in any way for abusing his character…

LINE BREAK

_**Previously:**_

It only took a few steps for him to realize with a sinking feeling that this was all one big mistake.

It only took a few seconds for him to turn and see his intruder.

It only took a second for the gun to shoot.

Yet it seemed to take ages for the doctor to fall.

And an even longer time for his limp body to be thrown in his own car, and driven off to an unknown destination.

LINE BREAK

A certain black car rolled out of the Sohma estate and down the road. Despite the drivers rather calm outlook, he was extremely tense, just as anyone would be driving along a busy road with a dead man in the back seat. Once he made it out into the open highway, the man finally sighed in relief and relaxed, wiping his brow.

"Next time Akito asks me to do this, I may just have to object…"

He cast a look at the body and frowned, "Now…what to do with you? Graveyards ask too many questions...I guess I'll have to find a clearing somewhere then. Though I'm really not looking forward to having to dig a hole myself…"

The man paused, as if waiting for an answer, then sighed. "Clearing it is then."

SORT OF A LINE BREAK

The man drove on, often casting fearful looks at the body as if it would get up and attack him at any moment. Twice he was forced to stop for refreshments and gas, and both times he was careful to stay within view of the car, watching it carefully. Finally, some 4 hours later, he managed to find a sufficient clearing and parked the car. After getting out and checking on the body, he began to dig.

He was so intent on his work that he was unaware of the hand of the body twitching, reaching forward slowly to the front of the car as if in a daze. He didn't even see it grab the steering wheel and search blindly around.

He didn't notice until a loud honk from the car gave it away.

The man was so focused that when the car suddenly honked, as if it had a life of his own, he jumped quite a ways into the air and whipped towards the sound, just as pale as his supposed dead body. He looked at it with wide eyes, his mind whirling tales of ghosts told to him by his mother when he was a little boy.

But there was no such thing as ghosts…was there?

He shivered and twitched as he continued to stare at the car, but it seemed intent to stay silent. He even began to wonder if he had imagined it. If he was going insane.

But when the car shook from whatever spirit possessed it, he knew he was dealing with the real thing. And so, with a sudden adrenaline rush, the shaking man cautiously approached the car, his hand squeezing his gun so hard that his knuckles began to turn white. He reached towards the back door, grabbed the handle…and suddenly jumped back as it opened itself. In his surprise, he had squeezed the trigger, but unfortunately the gun was pointed at the front tires, and pierced a hole right through it.

Of course, that was the least of his troubles.

The man watched in shock as the seemingly dead man _stood_ and _walked _out of the car like any ordinary day. Alright, so he was clutching his side and breathing heavily, but he was alive! The dead man had come back to life!

The man was able to register two thoughts as he stared at the wonder before him, before all hell broke loose. Literally.

The first was that Akito was going to kill him.

The second was that he was suddenly in the mood for teriyaki chicken.

Oh, and he managed to squeeze in a third as well.

'I didn't know the doctor could curse!'

Indeed, there was the normally levelheaded, quiet doctor, clutching his side and _cursing _some rather colorful words as he glared at the car. But of course, this is Fruits Basket we are talking about, so it couldn't end there. Not only was the doctor cursing and glaring, he also seemed to have not noticed the man or his half dug hole as he stared down his car and exclaimed, "Of all the d***** animals in the zodiac, WHY did you have to make me wash Akito's feet?!"

Clearly, the doctor had finally gone insane. The man watched in total awe as the doctor continued to rant about rather random and horrible occurrences, before finally reaching in the car and grabbing, of all things, Yuki out of the car and holding him near the metal, as if about to sacrifice him. Which by the sound of it, was exactly what he was about to do.

Now the man highly respected the rat, and fearing for his safety, finally approached the mad doctor. "Umm…excuse me, but why are you doing this?"

"Why do you think?" the doctor switched his glare to him for a moment, which shall I add, was a very, very scary glare, before looking back at the car again and finally to Yuki. "This boy stole my bread!"

"Well…can't you just buy more bread?"

"…" Hatori looked at him before smiling so suddenly, the poor man nearly suffered a heart attack.

"Why, that is a grand plan!" The doctor exclaimed, grinning broadly. "Just grand! We simply must celebrate this grand plan occasion!"

"N-no, I really don't think that is necessary!" The poor man squeaked as he was picked up by Hatori and thrown in the back of the car with Yuki, who was so terrified he had turned into a mouse and was now quietly squeaking to himself in much the same way the man had done before. Hatori jumped in the front seat and sped off down the road, grinning all the way. The man could only gasp in fear as he watched the speed meter rise rapidly before finally breaking as it went way off the mark. The car rushed down the now one lane road, just as another appeared right in front of it going the opposite direction. There was no time to stop or even slow down, and the poor man saw his life flash before his eyes as his doom came ever closer…

"Ahhh!" A brown haired man bolted out of bed, eyes wide and panicked. He took in his surroundings, and finding himself in his bed and not in a car about to crash or in a clearing, sighed in relief and attempted to calm himself. It too him some time before he contained himself enough to get up and wander downstairs, where he grabbed a cold drink from his tiny but functional kitchen and wandered down to the basement where his guest had been left a couple days ago. Finding him in the same comatose state as before, and in the same exact spot, he sighed once more in relief before heading back upstairs to catch a few more hours of sleep.

TO BE CONTINUED

…As I said, I really don't know where that came from. If it helps, everything from this chapter other than the last paragraph is a dream. Who this man is, what state his visitor is in, and what Akito has to say about all this is in the next chapter. Stay tuned!


	9. Chapter 9: Against All Odds Part 1

Here comes chapter 9! I've gotten really into this story lately, so I should be able to get quite a few more chapters in before the end of break (not counting that beast known as homework which seems quite content to stalk me to the end of its days…). ANYWAY, I'm not even going to think about that right now…as a side note, **I did not intend any yaoi in this chapter, but if you want to take it that way that is fine by me. **_**This is purely friendship.**_

Oh, and PLEASE review! I haven't gotten any for awhile now, and its getting kinda lonely…as I've said before, it's much easier for me to write (or get the hint to stop writing) with reviews…

Without further ado, here is chapter 9! Enjoy!

LINE BREAK

_**Previously:**_

It took him some time before he contained himself enough to get up and wander downstairs, where he grabbed a cold drink from his tiny but functional kitchen and wandered down to the basement where his guest had been left a couple days ago. Finding him in the same comatose state as before, and in the same exact spot, he sighed once more in relief before heading back upstairs to catch a few more hours of sleep.

LINE BREAK

Morning came and went, and another night soon greeted the lonely house. The man had visited his only companion in his basement for some time, keeping him company by filing out various bills and papers as he sat by his side, but still Hatori did not awaken. The man knew his friend's time was very short, and that he needed urgent medical attention, but due to his own situation that was currently impossible to supply.

**Start Flashback **

The same man, now around 10 years old, is nervously curled up in a corner of a stone room as three men look him over and talk in low tones.

"_Well then, Badger? What did you plan to do next? We can't keep him here…"_

"_I am well aware of that, Hawk. As for what to do with him…"_

"_Well, he managed to sneak past all those guards, and he seems to be very good with medicines…maybe he can join us!"_

"_We can't do that, Wolf. Boss would kill us…"_

"_But if he is valuable enough to the team, then why get rid of him?"_

_A loud sigh followed, before Badger said suddenly, "You might just have a point there."_

"_You too!?! You know we can't do this! He's just going to get in the way…hell, he'll be the ruin of us all!"_

"_No, I've decided, Hawk. He's staying."_

"_Yay!"_

"_But I have one condition. If he shows any signs of wanting to give us away, if he slips up just one time…he can kiss this life goodbye."_

**End Flashback**

The man gulped nervously, curling up on his chair with his head on his knees as these memories began to slowly overwhelm him. That was right…he couldn't do this! They would surely kill him! But…as he looked back at his pale friend, he knew he couldn't abandon him either. Not after all those years…

**Start Flashback**

The man, now around 12, is standing in a nervous defensive stance against a school building, eyes wet with unshed tears as he looks at his bullies, who seem to be ages 13, 14, and 16.

"_Ha ha, he's such a sissy!"_

"_Look at him! Crying for his mother…what a wimp!"_

"_Not like she could do anything anyway, stuck in the hospital. She's such a wimp!"_

"_Don't talk about her like that! My mother is a great person!" _

"_Yeah, great for sleeping all day and leaving her son with her ruined life!"_

"_Hey! Just what is going on here?!?"_

The bullies looked over their shoulders at a dark haired boy of around 15, approaching with a rather livid expression. The bullies' apparent boss smirked.

"_Just who are you to stop us?"_

"_Wait boss! Don't!" _One of his cronies exclaimed, eyes wide in fear. "_He's a sohma! If we were to get him, his family would go after us! You know how tough his father is!"_

Even the boss seemed a bit nervous now. _"A Sohma?!? Shoot!"_

The bullies backed off, and with one more nervous glance, ran for the hills. The older boy approached the younger, smiling a little as he held out his hand. _"Are you alright?"_

"_Y-yeah. Just fine." _The younger boy took the offered hand and was pulled to his feet.

"_You should be careful." _The older boygave him another small smile before starting to walk off. The younger hesitated before calling out suddenly, _"Wait! What's your name?"_

The older stopped and replied in an easy tone, _"Hatori Sohma"_(1) before walking off again. The younger could only stare in wonder at his back.

_Hatori… _

**End Flashback**

The man continued to stare at Hatori, furrowing his brow as he listened to the older man's ragged breathing. He might have some medical knowledge, but it was clear he could not save him. There was only one choice…

His shaking hands reached inside his pocket, drawing out a cell phone. He knew the number well – Hatori had given it to him just before they went their separate ways – him to become a top member in his group while Hatori became a doctor. The only question was whether or not he could do it…(2)

His fingers slowly dialed the number, and he knew the moment he pressed talk, he could not back out now. It seemed like ages before a man he had only met in person once in their younger years answered.

"This is Shigure Sohma. How may I help you?"

"I do not believe you can help me, but I can help you."

"…Who are you?"

"That is not important, but if you must have a name, you can call me Raven…listen, I know where Hatori is."

"You do?!?" The dog could not hold back his excitement, but it quickly faded as he listened to the other man's grim tone.

"Yes, but I fear he hasn't long…he needs medical attention, and fast. His pursuers do not know he still breathes, but when they find out, everything will be over for him…I have a plan, but it will be difficult to pull off…"

"I will do everything it takes to save him…please, Raven. Tell me what you have in mind."

"Then here is my idea."

TO BE CONTINUED

Sorry that I sort of ended this on a cliffhanger…I was looking over what I had written, and after realizing it was over 4 pages I figured it was probably a good time to end it. And anyway, it's healthy to be left in the dark occasionally…right?!?

Thanks for reading! I really hope you have enjoyed this thus far, and continue to read! As I said before, please review! Please?!? I just pushed myself to write 3 chapters in 2 days, despite not really having the time to do so, so I think you can push yourselves to press that little button down there and give me a bit of an idea of how I'm doing.


	10. Chapter 10: Against All Odds Part 2

Here is chapter 10. This chapter is dedicated to ElvanBeauty for being kind enough to point out a pretty major error on my part. I accidentally forgot to explain Akito's motives. As you already know, if Hatori and Kyo survive, the curse will be broken, but everyone in the zodiac will die. Likewise, if they are killed, the curse will remain, but everyone will survive which would give them (the zodiac) time to find another possible cure. Akito faked the whole 'dying' thing. Truth is, the curse would break, but everyone would survive EXCEPT Akito, as he is already very sick. Therefore, he is trying to kill these two in order to keep the zodiac under his command for all eternity, as he believes that if the curse is broken, they will forget about him.

I hope that made sense…

I am sorry for the lateness of this chapter as well! As you may already know, I decided to continue Corrupted Hearts, so I have been working back and forth on the next chapters to these both.

One more thing, the poll has been posted! Please go take a look! I don't have any plots for Fruits Basket, but I may eventually have another one once I get to work on another story.

Alright, I lied. I have one more thing to say. This story is getting pretty close to its end. I would expect around 12 – 13 chapters (including the epilogue). This is another reason to go vote!

LINE BREAK

_**Previously:**_

"This is Shigure Sohma. How may I help you?"

"I do not believe you can help me, but I can help you."

"…Who are you?"

"That is not important, but if you must have a name, you can call me Raven…listen, I know where Hatori is."

"You do?!?" The dog could not hold back his excitement, but it quickly faded as he listened to the other man's grim tone.

"Yes, but I fear he hasn't long…he needs medical attention, and fast. His pursuers do not know he still breathes, but when they find out, everything will be over for him…I have a plan, but it will be difficult to pull off…"

"I will do everything it takes to save him…please, Raven. Tell me what you have in mind."

"Then here is my idea."

LINE BREAK

"Where did that dog run off to again?"

"He said he had something important to do, baka."

"Well duh! I said where did he go? He's been gone for some time now."

"Who knows…knowing him, he's probably off trying to get some poor woman or something."

"Heh, probably. That pervert."

"You aren't any better. I saw you staring at Tohru the other day when she was cooking."

"You are calling me a pervert?!? You walked right into the bathroom when she was taking a shower!"

"…that was an accident."

"Yeah right, rat boy. Drop the act – we all know you are in love with her."

"Then should I point out that you seem to have quite an interesting relationship with Miss Uotani."

"I DO NOT, baka!"

"I'll keep yours a secret if you keep mine."

"…deal."

LINE BREAK

Shigure twitched nervously as he drove along a narrow road, glancing around as if expecting some kind of sneak attack. His head was spinning with outcomes, and he couldn't seem to gather his thoughts enough to gather a sufficient plan. Could he really trust Raven? He wondered, hands clamped tightly on the steering wheel, white knuckles contrasting dramatically with the black leather. What condition was Hatori in anyway? That guy had sounded pretty serious back then…and what odd directions.

_**Start Flashback**_

"_Take the back roads only, and do not let anyone follow you for too long. If it seems like they are, confuse them or sneak off onto another road. Got that?"_

"_Yes, I understand. But why all this secrecy?"_

"_When his attackers find out he survived, do you honestly think they will just let him get up and walk out?"_

"_Well no, I suppose not. But still…"_

"_No more questions." Raven's voice had taken on a haunted tone – one of someone who has seen far too many deaths before. "Just come here, to this clearing. I will be waiting…and hurry."_

_With that, the line was dead. Shigure slowly lowered the phone, practically looking through the wall before him, before turning on his heels and gathering his coat._

_**End Flashback**_

LINE BREAK

"I'm going out for awhile. Can you watch over Miss Honda for me?"

"Sure, but why the hell are you being so friendly today? It's not like you…"

"You're the one to talk. I'm going. But Kyo?"

"Yes?"

"…nevermind."

The cat's curiosity quickly grew and spun rapidly. Kyo growled in annoyance as the door was slammed in front of his face.

"Stupid rat…"

Tohru watched the whole thing, an odd feeling swirling in her chest, but she shook it off and turned back to cleaning the kitchen half heartedly. Her concentration dimmed as she recognized the feeling as being that of worry and…regret?

'Yuki…please, be careful.'

LINE BREAK

Shigure sighed nervously as he pulled into the designated clearing. He scanned the area carefully, and finding no one there, leaned back in his seat to wait. As tired as he was from spending many nights making phone calls and running around town in search for his friend, he knew no sleep would come until the doctor was safe at home.

The next few minutes felt like an eternity to the poor dog - He hadn't even realized he had dozed off until he nearly jumped through the roof as another car zipped into the clearing, braking hard. There was no time to ponder the driver's reason for speeding as another car sped in right behind it. His heart seemed to plummet from his chest to his foot.

"Oh no…"

They were doomed.

TO BE CONTINUED

Once again, thank you for reading thus far! I would definitely expect another two – maybe three chapters to this fic.

Till next time! (Sorry for stealing your catchphrase, sandy! :P)

HK


	11. Chapter 11: Take The Field

Mmkay, here is chapter 11. I wouldn't be surprised if I finish this fic in the next week or two, since I'm really eager to get it done and move on. (That did sound pretty horrible, but this is the first story that I am actually finishing, so I'm just eager to get it done at this point.) With how much more I have to say, it could be 13 chapters plus the epilogue, but I would expect closer to 12. It really depends though on how this works out.

Without further ado, here is chapter 11!

LINE BREAK

_**Previously:**_

"I'm going out for awhile. Can you watch over Miss Honda for me?"

"Sure, but why the hell are you being so friendly today? It's not like you…"

"You're the one to talk. I'm going. But Kyo?"

"Yes?"

"…nevermind."

The cat's curiosity quickly grew and spun rapidly. Kyo growled in annoyance as the door was slammed in front of his face.

"Stupid rat…"

Tohru watched the whole thing, an odd feeling swirling in her chest, but she shook it off and turned back to cleaning the kitchen half heartedly. Her concentration dimmed as she recognized the feeling as being that of worry and…regret?

'Yuki…please, be careful.'

……………………….

Shigure sighed nervously as he pulled into the designated clearing. He scanned the area carefully, and finding no one there, leaned back in his seat to wait. As tired as he was from spending many nights making phone calls and running around town in search for his friend, he knew no sleep would come until the doctor was safe at home.

The next few minutes felt like an eternity to the poor dog - He hadn't even realized he had dozed off until he nearly jumped through the roof as another car zipped into the clearing, braking hard. There was no time to ponder the driver's reason for speeding as another car sped in right behind it. His heart seemed to plummet from his chest to his foot.

"Oh no…"

They were doomed.

LINE BREAK

Yuki cautiously walked through the familiar building, his mind spinning uncontrollably. An overwhelming wave of nausea swept over him, but he forced it back as he carried on his way. The air seemed so thick…it was getting hard to breath. He finally reached a door and barely suppressed the urge to lay down and die. It was unbelievably painful to continue, but he had no choice. Everyone was counting on him. He couldn't fail them – not now.

After taking a few deep, painful breaths, he swallowed heavily and slowly reached towards the door. With shaking hands, he opened it and entered the new room, nearly fainting at the voice which sounded out of the darkness.

"Hello, Yuki."

LINE BREAK

Shigure slowly opened the door and jumped out, watching carefully as others from the other cars did the same. The car closest to him had a man who looked to be around 24, who cautiously fingered something on his belt. He realized with a sickening dread that it was a gun.

Three men had gotten out of the larger car, all also armed with guns. The first, seemingly the leader, had such a calm expression Shigure was forced to hold back a shiver. The other two stood slightly behind him, one on either side, clearly the leader's henchman.

The 24 year old growled suddenly, catching Shigure's attention. "Pleasure to meet you here, Hawk."

"I could say the same." The apparent leader replied simply. His tone was icy…almost dead sounding.

The henchman on Hawk's left stepped forward, his expression…remorseful? "Why did you do this, Raven? I don't understand..."

Shigure raised an eyebrow – so he was Raven. That meant Hatori was probably in his car. If only he could sneak over there somehow…

"I can't let innocent people die," Raven replied shortly.

"This was our job, Raven." The one on Hawk's right stepped a few paces forward, and it occurred to Shigure in his tone and movements that this was probably the real leader. "And you ignored orders. Do you know what that means?"

'What is this, a cult?' Shigure wondered as he watched the interaction. An idea suddenly formed in his mind, and seizing it, he slowly, ever so slowly made his way towards Raven's car.

Raven smiled, "You made me well aware all these years. I do not regret my actions." He watched Shigure out of the corner of his eye, barely tensing as he prepared for the sure to be fight to come.

"Oh, just cut him down already!" Hawk hissed as he reached towards his gun, but Badger simply shook his head as he looked at Raven.

"First of all, I think he deserves to explain his actions."

Shigure had reached the car and was just about to open it when a gunshot sounded. The clearing fell dreadfully silent until…

"Badger!" Wolf shouted, clearly stunned. Hawk smirked and pointed his still smoking gun at Raven. "Now then, you're next."

Raven was also in shock as he stared at the crumpled form of his leader, which lay only feet from him, and looked up at his killer. "Hawk…how dare you."

Hawk simply smirked again and squeezed the trigger.

LINE BREAK

"Hello, Yuki."

The rat barely stopped himself from wincing at the cold tone, and taking a deep breath, walked into the room and bowed before his god.

"Akito-sama…I wish to speak to you."

"I think we are both aware of that already." The god smiled. "But before we begin, I must know. How is your quest going?"

"Well, you see…that is what I wish to speak about, Akito-sama."

"Is it?" Akito frowned. "Don't tell me you are having…second thoughts?"

"Well…Akito, I can't do this." Yuki looked at him, feeling brave for the first time in his life in front of his supposed master. His voice gained strength with every word he spoke, his voice growing in depth.

"I'm through with listening to orders like some half witted slave. I will no longer take orders from anyone but myself."

Yuki stood and looked his god in the eye.

"I am not afraid of you anymore, Akito. That was the past. And this…this is the future."

TO BE CONTINUED

The next chapter will be the last, followed by an epilogue. I hope you have enjoyed reading this story as much as I have enjoyed writing it!

Also, there may be a sequel to this story. You can vote for it in the poll.

Thanks again! I hope to see you all around!

HK


	12. Chapter 12: Pass Away

And finally we have reached chapter 12, the last chapter to this story. There will also be an epilogue, and I have a sequel planned that I will explain in better detail at the end of this chapter. Yet again, thank you for following this fic, and I hope you stay tuned for more stories in the future!

Please vote in the poll!

I am very pleased to announce the arrival of chapter 12. Enjoy!

LINE BREAK

Previously:

Shigure had reached the car and was just about to open it when a gunshot sounded. The clearing fell dreadfully silent until…

"Badger!" Wolf shouted, clearly stunned. Hawk smirked and pointed his still smoking gun at Raven. "Now then, you're next."

Raven was also in shock as he stared at the crumpled form of his leader, which lay only feet from him, and looked up at his killer. "Hawk…how dare you."

Hawk simply smirked again and squeezed the trigger.

…………………

Yuki looked at him, feeling brave for the first time in his life in front of his supposed master. His voice gained strength with every word he spoke, his voice growing in depth.

"I'm through with listening to orders like some half witted slave. I will no longer take orders from anyone but myself."

Yuki stood and looked his god in the eye.

"I am not afraid of you anymore, Akito. That was the past. And this…this is the future."

LINE BREAK

If one word existed to explain the situation of Shigure, Yuki, the zodiac, and this mysterious group, it would surely be Termination.

The Termination of the zodiac,

The Termination of Badger, and soon to follow Raven and Wolf,

And the Termination of their world as they knew it.

Everything followed one simple path. There were no turns or crossroads, simply a long, dark road full of soon to be disasters and ever-growing sadness. If they had discovered that one turn so many miles back, that one chance to be free of everything…perhaps things would not have turned out as badly as they had.

Now, the zodiac faced extinction, one so fast and feared it had been known in the journals of the first known god of the family as "The Generation", or the "era of nothing". Two brave souls had been sent to find the answer to the commonly asked question – When will the cursed zodiac be freed? These two troubled spirits were sure to find far more than they ever imagined.

And so they did.

LINE BREAK

As Hawk pulled the trigger, Shigure realized he only had one chance to get Hatori before everything would go downhill. He seized it by opening the car door and grabbing the doctor out of the back seat, taking note of his pale complexion and labored breathing, made a dash for his car. At precisely the same time that he began his run, the bullet hit its target.

But it wasn't Raven. Nor was it Wolf.

Hawk gasped in surprise as a bullet imbedded itself in his chest. His shot, which had been fired just seconds after the mystery gun had hit him, was directed harmlessly to the sky as he fell to his knees, clutching weakly at the wound as he set his hard stare on his attacker.

Badger's arm was extended, gun in hand, and still hot to the touch.

Wolf's eyes widened, and without a second thought, he ran to Badger's side.

Raven turned to Shigure, who had just loaded Hatori into his own car and was now watching the action. Their eyes met, but no recognition passed, only cold acceptance and a sort of restless wondering. After some time, Raven spoke.

"Get him to safety."

Shigure turned without a second thought, got in his own car, and drove away.

Raven watched him disappear from his sight, before he turned back to Wolf, who – he was shocked to see – was crying as he held Badger's hand and attempted to stop the thick blood which was pooling around the two.

The gun lay on the grass, long forgotten.

LINE BREAK

Yuki smiled satisfactorily as he made his way down the hall. Finally, his wish – his greatest ambition had been fulfilled.

He was finally free.

The rat had unknowingly broken the curse…But even more unknowingly, had set down an even worse chain of events.

Perhaps, just perhaps, Akito had been right this time.

The said god now sat in his study, brooding. He finally picked up a phone, quickly typing in a number.

A phone rang through the night, never to be answered.

LINE BREAK

Shigure pulled into the hospital, his heart racing as he screeched up next to the curb. He parked and immediately looked back to check on Hatori.

He wasn't breathing.

Suppressing a scream, Shigure immediately bolted out of the car and into the building, quite grateful that he in question had forgotten to put his seatbelt on in the earlier commotion. He skid into the hall, startling an elderly couple who had been heading towards the door, and practically threw himself on the front desk, at which point he started to babble something among the lines of "myfriendneedshelpheisdyingyouhavetohelphimpleasehelphimhecannotsurviveformuchlonger". Rubbish to the poor, overworked, but rather pretty secretary. She in question looked up and sighed,

"Calm down and slow down! Now then, what do you need?"

Shigure took a deep, shaky breath, before trying again,

"My friend is dying!"

Much better. Eyes wide, she immediately pressed a button on her desk, signaling the doctor to an emergency case.

Shigure led the doctor outside, where they gently eased Hatori out of the car and onto a stretcher. He was rushed inside faster than you could say "Hawk did it". The dog tried to accompany them, but was forced out and dejectedly took a seat in the waiting room.

Some hours later, a sympathetic nurse brought out some tea for him, which he gratefully took. Yet again, he would just have to wait.

LINE BREAK

One more gunshot entered the stilled sky, before the world fell silent once more.

The time taken since Yuki had begun his quest: two weeks.

The number of deaths within those two weeks: 3.

The amount of still missing people: 1.

The time taken to heal the hearts which had been broken: Decades.

And the amount of people who regretted the events: none.

LINE BREAK

The world of the sohmas had changed drastically. The curse broken, they were allowed normal lives…almost.

But that is another tale, to be told on a far greater day than this very one.

And to be told by someone who had lived through it all, who was known to have repaid his debt with his life. He will be remembered, honored, and cherished by those who have died, and those who remain with the living, for he remains in neither the world of the living nor of the dead.

Others had felt the weakening of the curse – others had broken it.

Others had become heroes, to be passed down in legend for generations.

But no one but the Raven had been In The Dragon's Den and back.

END OF STORY

Thank you for reading this story! I hope you have enjoyed it just as much as I have enjoyed writing it! I hope that you will stay tuned for my future writings as well!

About the sequel: My plan was that it would basically tell the story of Raven, Badger, Wolf, and Hawk, and the whole group they made. It would also have some of their adventures as a team, and would end at the same time as this one, except that it would further explain their fates. It would also tell how they met the Mabudachi trio and how everything was settled down afterwards. This sequel will be called Maelstrom.

The ending to this story was a bit messy, and I apologize for that. Mostly everything that wasn't explained will be told in the epilogue, and the sequel should explain everything else.

"In The Dragon's Den" has many meanings. It will also be explained further in the sequel.

Thanks again for tagging along on this adventure with me! I hope that you will want to join me in further journeys!

And once again, please vote in the poll! It is on my lookup! I need at least 2 more people to vote before I can start on another story.

See you again,

HK


	13. Chapter 13: Epilogue

And so, the epilogue arrives. I must admit that I am now a little depressed that I ended this so early…

As this is an epilogue, I wouldn't expect a 5,000 page novel or anything. The whole point of this anyway is just to give you an idea of what happened to everyone and where the sequel will pick up. I will explain the sequel in more detail at the end of this story.

Anyway, enjoy!

LINE BREAK

It had been a small funeral, as there were few to attend it.

Only three stood in silence, staring as if in a trace as the box was buried under feet of moist dirt and the occasional rock.

Then there was two, as the one had a friend to guide back to life. The remaining were not upset about his departure.

One remained. The other disappeared one day, never to return.

Yet the remaining was not upset.

He alone stood faithfully, forever staring at the stone which marked the only thing he ever had in his life.

It seemed his leader had gone ahead once again, and he knew it would be some time before he could follow.

"I will follow your orders always, Badger."

The clouds overhead split and formed a gap, from which a ray of bright, rejuvenating sun burst forth to shine upon the lost Wolf and his leader.

The lone wolf's call would echo into the surrounding hills, forever engraved in the hearts of those who passed by close enough to hear it.

LINE BREAK

'Some habits are never erased.'

Shigure smiled to himself as he reached his destination, lightly knocking on the door before letting himself inside.

"I'm back, and I don't have Aya' with me this time!"

"Thank the heavens!" A voice exclaimed from the next room. The dog grinned and made his way inside, weaving through 5 foot high stacks of paperwork.

"Man, did you take all those documents with you from the hospital? This place is a mess!" Shigure finally reached the doctor, who was busy pouring over a small stack of papers on his desk. The said doctor glared at him and pointed at each pile as he named them.

"House bills, renovation bills, patient files - which thanks to you siding with those doctors I am very behind on, Akito's will-"

Shigure stopped him, eyes wide as he looked at the huge pile that had been gestured to. "THAT is Akito's will?"

"No, you idiot." Hatori sighed to himself before continuing. "The first few pages are his will, and the others are either related or contain other important files…which you are not allowed to look at." He added firmly, stopping Shigure, who had been slowly creeping over to the pile.

"Aww…you don't trust me, Ha'ri?"

"No. I simply do not trust you with my important papers."

"Fine," The dog dejectedly turned back to him, only to find he was quite diligently working on the papers again. He came back over and peeked over his shoulder, grimacing at the small, nearly unreadable text which the doctor was pouring over.

"Should you really be working on that?" He voiced curiously, ignoring the glare the doctor sent him. "You just got out of the hospital…"

"I'm not about to become another sack of potatoes again." Shigure raised an eyebrow at the comparison. "And anyway, this needs to get done."

Seeing as Hatori was clearly not about to give in, the dog frowned. "You are worse than Kyo."

"I am not worse than Kyo." Ohh, that hit a nerve. "I had to sedate him three times, and he still would not hold still."

"Isn't that what you are doing now? You're on enough medicines to kill a seahorse –no pun intended," He added quickly, wincing at an especially harsh glare, "Yet you still insist on working. You shouldn't even be able to stand! Go take a nap at least!"

Hatori gave him one last look before wordlessly getting up and making his way out of the room, barely missing the wall. It was clear he was still pretty dazed from the medication.

Shigure simply grinned and proceeded to hide the doctor's pens, hoping that it would at least make him less likely to do work. He found that to be unnecessary, as ten minutes later he went into the living room, only to find Hatori sound asleep on the couch.

"Hmm…I wonder if I should call Aya' over. He could make that good soup again…"

LINE BREAK

"Yuki…Yuki? Oh no, can you hear me? Yuki!!"

"Wha-" Yuki snapped out of his daze to find Tohru staring at him, eyes wet and looking anxious. He shook his head slightly and gave her a small smile. "I'm sorry if I scared you at all, miss Honda. I guess I just have a lot on my mind."

Tohru frowned, "You've been like this since Akito-" She stopped, noticing Yuki wince slightly at the name, and backed off. "Of course, it's none of my business, now is it…"

Yuki looked at her, his eyes softening at her expression as he stood and grasped her hand, bringing her towards him. "The cat went off to finish his training, so I suppose I can let you in on a little secret."

She was astounded to finally see it as he closed the gap between them.

A true smile.

END OF STORY

Wow…that was much longer than I thought it would be…well then, I suppose you can ignore my first author's note. Though it still wasn't exactly a novel, it was longer than intended.

Anyway, about the sequel.

So it will be about the history of Badger, Wolf, Raven, and Hawk, but I have decided to tie that in a bit more with the fruits basket characters. In short, Yuki, Hatori, Shigure, and the others will all be mixed in with a plot surrounding these guys. Here is the full summary.

Maelstrom: Sequel to In The Dragon's Den

Just when they thought everything was over, the boss of Badger and his group appears, demanding that they rejoin him or suffer an unfortunate fate. The two remaining members must make a decision. Meanwhile, members of the Sohmas are being targeted…is this simply an act of persuasion, or perhaps a long awaited revenge?

Sound ok? I hope so! I am really excited for this! Also, this will explain the journals of the sohma family, and reveal what Akito's will says.

I hope to see you guys soon! Take care for now!

HK


End file.
